


With This Ring

by thelittlelion



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Angelica is secretly very lonely, F/F, F/M, Maria is basically magic, Past Domestic Violence, The Affair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 17:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12370380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittlelion/pseuds/thelittlelion
Summary: The ring was a simple golden band, thin and delicate, plain save for one small gleaming ruby. Angelica might have thought it inexpensive, if it did not nearly scorch her palm with magic, biting like fire.Or, like a bad penny, magic rings seem to stick.*Angelica eyed the woman sitting beside her warily. “What are you?”“I’m not dead, if that’s what you’re asking,” Maria told her. “Or a spirit or a ghost.”“Or a demon?”Maria’s lips twitched. “Or that.”





	With This Ring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rainah (RainahFiclets)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainahFiclets/gifts).



 

The capitol shimmered molten gold in the twilight, old Latin wards twisting around the building’s wide dome and snaking down its many columns. The magic prickled Angelica’s hand as she gripped the iron doorknob. It didn’t burn, but it did pop against her palm like sparks from a fire. Very nearly, she wished that it _would_ burn. At least then she would know she had made a decision, rather than being left to wrestle with a conflict that seemed to roll the very ground beneath her.

Inside, her steps broke loudly on the marble floor. People in suits scurried in and out of the lobby, too broke or too ambitious for normal working hours. Too busy to notice her. She pushed through them to the stairs, which curved into the air as a remnant of times when politics were kept in castles and court magicians still in towers.

It stung to know that Alexander dwelled on the highest floor. Yes, he had his own prowess, but could he have climbed so far so fast without the Schuyler name? She doubted it.

And now he slept in his office while Eliza tossed in an empty bed. As if there was anywhere in the whole seven continents that was far enough away.

For nine hours, Angelica had sat on a plane and contemplated her reprisal. Visions of beating the bastard blue mixed with self-indulgent fantasies. Dreams that whispered that maybe – _somehow_ – this was all a mistake. A word had been misunderstood. A vision misremembered. Perhaps a funny anecdote awaited the conclusion of her journey, rather than the current nightmare.

She thought this, even with the memory of Eliza sobbing over the phone pressing down on her, making her squeeze her eyes shut and try to wish the traitorous thoughts away.

She thought this, even as she turned the final flight of stairs and heard the voices in the hallway. Alexander’s she knew – from memory, from fantasy, from long calls in the late of night. The other?

It was a woman. Her voice crooned low and husky. It undercut the rapid careening of Alexander’s words, which suddenly rose up to shout.

“Goddamn it! Maria!”

Something slammed. The window on the office door rattled. Angelica tasted metal on her tongue and trembled.

That name. Maria _._

It was _her._

The office door leapt away from her fingers, bursting open with a loud bang. Standing at his desk, Alexander jerked, knuckles scraping over a circle of chalk. Tall white candles stood faintly smoking along the edges of the array, in the middle of which lay a smoldering bowl of scrying water.

Alexander made a shocked sound. She had to squint to see him. Two years overseas, lost in make-believe, and she’d forgotten the true brilliance of his magic. It didn’t just dance over his skin, it blinded. He’d shone in righteous fury the first night they’d met, dazzling the whole party, her and Eliza most of all. The way they’d fluttered like moths to a candle flame made her nauseous.

Beneath his magic, though, Alexander was young and disheveled. His tie hung askew, but his cheeks bloomed in full color. Anger moves in a low swell through Angelica. How handsome, how rested, how buoyant he appeared. Even his prolific dark circles were less like brutally violet bruises and more like faint shadows. His eyes crinkled in the corners as he gazed on her, smiling. He spread his arms wide as if in embrace.

“Angelica! Thank the divines you’re here.”

Angelica’s hand cracked against his face.

Immediately, the air around Angelica began to hiss. Static danced up her arms as the ward’s banishing magic popped on her skin in sharp red sparks. The wards constricted, squeezing her ribs, preparing to evict her.

Alexander unbent with one hand clasped to his reddening cheek. With his other, he waved two fingers in her direction. The wards fizzled out.

Angelica found herself breathing very hard, brimming with a caustic energy that made her want to claw his other cheek bloody. She clamped it down, barely. It was as though a lance had pierced through something in her chest, spilling a poison in her blood. It raced down her shoulders until her fingertips filled with heat. Her pulse thudded in her palms, only halted by when she clenched her hands into tight fists.

She spat at him.

“Congratulations.” His eyes flew up. Her words flew out and struck. “This must be your greatest feat yet. While I’ve been trying to imagine some way – some _possible_ way – for this to be some mistake, you’ve been here- talking to _her._ ” His eyes widened. Clearly, he hadn’t thought this through. “Truly, Alexander, you have exceeded my capacity to fathom just how low you can crawl.”

“Angelica,” he said, licking his lips. He words were quick and imploring. “You have to understand. I know I messed up. I _know_ that. And I’m sorry. If I could take an of it back- if you knew how much I regret it- ”

Angelica gave a sharp bark of laughter. “You’re sorry?”

She swept her hand over his desk. The smoke from the candles eddied around her wrist, diffusing in the air. The water in the bowl stirred, jostling over the edges.

“Does your mistress know that?” she asked. “Does _Maria_ know how sorry you are? You were just talking with her, weren’t you? Right before I came in. Were you telling her how much you regret it? Regret her? How you’ve ruined the lives of everyone who loves you.”

Alexander hunched down, curling around a hand he pressed to his chest. He lifted his eyes through the curtain of his hair, which was coming loose in his frenzy.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he insisted. “I didn’t intend to hurt anyone.”

“Then you’re an idiot.”

Angelica’s words cut threw him. Where was the brave, _intelligent_ crusader she’d met those many years ago? It was a memory that ached as though mourning.

“How could you?” she demanded.

“It was a mistake- ”

“It was Eliza. You did this to _Eliza_.”

Alexander’s expression was wounded. “I know.”

Angelica got close enough to jab a finger in his chest. “She loved you, Alexander. If you were having problems- if things were going wrong- ”

“They weren’t,” he said.

“Then why?”

“ _I don’t know why!”_ Once more, the window shuddered. Alexander turned harshly away and began to pace. _“_ You think I don’t get what I’ve done? What I’ve lost. I _love_ Eliza. I’ve always _loved_ Eliza. More than anything!”

Angelica slammed her hands on the desk. Hard enough that water sloshed from the bowl, sending chalk in runny lines across the wood.

“How can you say that! You threw it all away, Alexander, and for what? Did she love you the way Eliza did?”

“You don’t know the full story. Maria- she isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before. If you met her- ”

“Are you kidding me right now, Alexander?” By the way he pulled up, short, she knew he was not. She shook her head, almost wanting to laugh. “No. There is nothing you can say. There are no words you can give me to make this okay. I just want to know _why.”_

A silence followed her words. Alexander didn’t meet her eyes again. A sneer built in Angelica. She cut her gaze away from him, where it caught on the scrying bowl. It was nearly empty. Something glinted in the shallow water that remained.

Of course. He would need a belonging to call her – _Maria_. Something that connected him and her.

Angelica moved before she had made up her mind. Alexander lurched as her fingers breached the water, but subsided the moment she drew out a dripping ring.

It was a simple golden band, thin and delicate, plain save for one small gleaming ruby. She might have thought it inexpensive, if it did not nearly scorch her palm with magic, biting like fire. There was only one kind of magic Angelica knew that felt like that.

“You did,” she realized suddenly.

Alexander began talking in a hurry. “Eliza can’t know. You can’t tell her, Angelica. It would break her.”

Angelica stared at the circle of metal in her palm. A ring. The bastard had bought his mistress a ring. Not only that, but a ring enchanted with the strongest of magic.

“You did,” she repeated, numbly. “You loved her.”

“ _No_!” Alexander cast his hand out, aura flashing. “It was a trick. I didn’t know- ” He cut off. “Look, take it. Just- Just take it.”

A filing cabinet burst open. Papers and files flooded the air as the floorboards creaked beneath Angelica’s heals. Alexander didn’t so much as flinch, even when she closed her fist on the ring and snarled.

“What? _Maria_ won’t miss it?”

Alexander winced. His movements were slow, bent over. He stared at her in earnest.

“Be careful, Angelica. It isn’t- once you see her, you’ll understand.”

Angelica slapped him again.

The glass on the door shattered. Angelica’s vision bowed under a shower of red sparks, the wards cinching around her fast and hard. This time, nothing stopped them. Alexander’s black eyes followed her as the magic carried her and the ring away.

*

 

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

Eliza’s wonderment brought a dizzying rush of affection to Angelica. “You know I’ll always be there for you,” she said.

“Still, all the way from London.” Eliza shook her head. “You should have told me. I could have picked you up from the airport.”

Angelica stretched her hand across the table, squeezing her sister’s fingers. They sat at Eliza’s long dinner table, nursing mismatched mugs full of tea. Eliza was in loose sweats and a robe and wore the same wobbly smile she’d had when she opened the door.

“You have enough on your plate. I’m just here to help out,” Angelica assured her.

“Philip will be ecstatic,” Eliza said. “He’s been worried since Alex- since his father left.”

“Have you heard from him?” Angelica asked.

Eliza shook her head. “Not since he moved out. Philip keeps asking me when he’s coming home. I don’t know what to tell him.”

“Kids need a routine,” Angelica nodded. “I called ahead to some divorce lawyers I know. Obviously you’ll get custody and the house, but they can make sure he’s bleeding out the ears for the rest of his life. John can see you tomorrow, if you’re ready.”

Eliza appeared startled. “John Church? I thought he was in London with you.”

“He was. Then he married a woman whose parents own a family law center here in the city and off he went.”

Eliza set down her tea and bit her lip. “When did all this happen?”

Angelica had to think back. “Earlier this summer, around the end of May. It’s been odd working alone, though I can’t say I mind it. I get a lot done.”

“Oh.” Eliza’s expression was a bit dazed. “I didn’t know.”

“You’ve been busy. Me too.” Angelica squeezed her hand again. “But I’m here now and we’re together. We’ll figure it out.”

“Yes.” Eliza gave a little shake, seeming to come back to herself. She focused on Angelica with a more solid gaze. “You’ve always been there for me.”

“That’s what sisters are for.”

“I know.” Eliza smiled again. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s been lonely, all by myself. I forgot what it’s like to live alone.”

If Angelica had the means, she would have teleported back in time right then just to hit Alexander for a third time.

“The sooner we cut that bastard out of your life the better. Now come on. This tea is depressing and sisters don’t let sisters drink alone. Time for liquor.”

Angelica tugged her sister from the table, overwhelmed by the quiet smatter of laughter that followed.

*

 

That night, Angelica roused slowly. There was smoke in the air, but she wasn’t alarmed.

She lay in Eliza’s guest room, up to her chin in a heavy duvet. The borders of her body felt fuzzy, as though she might dissolve into the warmth around her. She didn’t have it in her to open her eyes. Nothing warned of danger. The smoke was a warm, thick scent that squatted low in the air. It was the heavy musk of wood burning and Angelica knew she was asleep.

She woke further. It wasn’t often that she walked in dreams.

Rain pummeled the roof. Fat drops that landed with a thump above her head, even as she slept on the ground floor. Instead of cars, a concert of crickets played in the corners of the room. Beyond, an owl hooted once, twice. She opened her eyes on the third call.

She was still in the guest room, still in bed. Outside the room’s tall window an ambulance sped past. Red light poured through the glass, drenching the room, illuminating the woman who stood looking out. Angelica sat up with a yelp, dragging the sheet up her chest. The woman turned to face her.

It had to be a dream.

The woman was startlingly pretty, drawn of smooth brown skin and curves. She was young. Youthful in her face though her stance belied it. A crimson dress pulled taut across her chest and protruded wide on her hips, as though she were summoned from a mixture of Angelica’s college trysts and her childhood school trips to colonial reenactments.

Taking her in, it was little guess what sort of dream Angelica had stumbled into. After a moment’s deliberation, she sat up further in bed. She let the sheet slip and shivered.

“You’re cold,” said the figment. She pulled Angelica’s jacket from where it hung on the back of a chair and crossed the room. “Here. Let me help you.”

She draped the jacket over Angelica’s shoulders and stood back, clasping her hands in front of her. She made no other move towards the bed, though she stared steadily back at Angelica.

“What? You aren’t coming to bed?” Angelica asked, bemused. The dream woman was standing two inches from where Angelica had kicked her jeans. It couldn’t get any more obvious what sort of dream this was.

Yet, the woman just stood there, staring. Angelica snorted. “Some succubus you are.”

The woman tilted her head. Her expression was blank, but not cool. Passive, not in attentive. Angelica wondered what part of her subconscious thought she needed that kind of control.

“If that’s what you want,” the woman said and spread her hands.

Angelica’s gaze roved over this strange fantasy, lingering on the swell of her breasts and the long line of her lashes.

“Yes,” Angelica said. “I want.”

At once, something in the air changed. That smell of wood smoke thickened, growing almost cloying.

There was a bend in the woman’s lips that vanished before Angelica could tell if she’d either smiled or frowned. This time, when the apparition stepped forward, she slunk, chin lowered, eyes fixated on Angelica’s face. Her dress rustled on the blankets as she climbed onto the bed. Angelica sought after her, anticipating the warmth of her proximity.

For the woman’s reticence before, the fantasy wasted no time in straddling Angelica’s hips. Her dress rode up, revealing thighs that flexed as she settled. She wore buckle shoes, Angelica noticed, small heeled and flecked with dirt.

“What part of me conjured you,” Angelica breathed and bent up to touch. She smoothed her hands down the woman’s strange sleeves, finding the material thick and smooth. There were layers there, but Angelica imagined the obstacle would disappear if she willed it hard enough. She shrugged off her jacket and let it slide to the floor, anticipating hands on her body.

The woman, who hadn’t moved beyond straddling Angelica, stilled. “You should keep that on,” she said.

Angelica chuckled. “That seems a little counterproductive, don’t you think?” she said. “Shouldn’t you be touching me already?”

A hand pressed against Angelica’s bare stomach. The woman’s skin was not just warm, but hot, feverish. The woman stared at the jacket on the floor.

“You’ll lose it. Aren’t you cold?” she asked.

Angelica laughed again. “I won’t be. Enough about the jacket. Don’t you have other things to worry about?”

Like Angelica’s body beneath her. The woman’s brown eyes flickered briefly to Angelica’s, before sliding away. She was frowning, a furrow between her brows. Her next words were almost annoyed.

“You shouldn’t let it go like that. It’s important.”

“It isn’t.” Angelica reached up, putting her hands against the woman’s face. Angelica turned the woman’s chin to face her, pressing her lips to her jaw. “It’s a jacket and this is dream. It isn’t real. You’re not even real. Let it be.”

The corners of the woman’s mouth pulled down yet further. She shook her face from Angelica’s hands. Hair tickled across Angelica’s abdomen as the woman bent down, retrieving the jacket.

She tucked the jacket around Angelica’s shoulders, ignoring her incredulous look. The woman plucked at the leather until it sat snuggly.      

“I am real,” she said.

“What you are is strange,” Angelica told her. “Freud would have a field day. What _is_ my subconscious thinking?”

“I _am_ real,” the woman repeated, insistent.

Angelica couldn’t help but tease her. “Oh yes?” She pressed another kiss to the woman’s neck. “Very real?”

“Yes.”

At least the woman was looking at her again, brown eyes serious. Angelica didn’t understand this persistence. She pulled back, then let her hand run down the woman’s neck, crossing her collar. She would get this dream on track one way or another.

Her fingers dipped under the sturdy grip of her bodice. “Who are you then? Someone I know?”

“No.”

Tugging at the bodice didn’t release it. Angelica tapped her fingers along the solid face of the fabric, contemplating. “So you’re someone I should get to know better,” she grinned. “I am trying. Your clothes don’t make it easy.”

“I can help,” the woman said. Her hands rose quickly to her chest, quick despite her unusualness. They sketched an invisible line down her torso. “Here’s the seam.”

Angelica followed her fingers to a clever line of straight pins. “So eager to please. My helpful dream woman.”

The woman smiled. She let her hands drop as Angelica wheedled out the first pin. Then she leaned forward, more at ease now, and pressed both her hands to Angelica’s sides.

“Call me Maria.”

The needle pierced Angelica. Blood welled on her fingertip.

She stared at the woman, frozen. “What did you say?”

“I can help,” said the woman, reaching up for the pins in her dress.

Her voice was low, Angelica noticed for the first time, and sultry – familiar.

“You’re- _you!”_

The woman stared at her. She pulled out another pin. “Yes?”

Angelica surged up, shoving the woman away.

“ _Get off of me!”_

It seemed as though she were pinned. Agonizing seconds passed as Angelica struggled to pull her knees from the hips that trapped her, though the woman never moved.

Angelica fell out of the bed. Cool wood met her feet. Cool air the rest of her body. She had no clothes on.

Maria – Alexander’s _mistress_ – followed her out of the bed. Angelica yanked a blanket off and wrapped it around her body, moving back until her spine hit the wall. Her pulse drummed in her neck, knees quivering.

“How did you get in here? What do you want?”

Maria removed a third pin. What Angelica had mistaken as part of the dress, separated as a jacket. She laid it to the side and stepped closer.

“You brought me here.”

“Don’t try to trick me!” Angelica hissed, moving hurriedly away. She still smelt smoke, though now the low hum of traffic had returned. Rain thudded on the ceiling, though outside the skies were clear.

“You did,” said Maria, unaffected. She picked up the fallen jacket for a third time. Angelica stepped back, but Maria didn’t seem intent on making her wear it again. She reached into one of the pockets. When she pulled it out, she was holding the ruby ring. “You should be more careful with this.”

Angelica’s arms painted themselves with goose flesh, hands shaking in adrenaline. “You broke into a house for that?”

Maria held the band out to her. “Here.”

Angelica’s nerves were fizzling away to something less numbly. A spark of ire jumped up, catching on the tail end of Angelica’s fear. She swatted the hand away.

“How did you even know I had it?” she demanded. “Did Alexander send you?”

Maria’s nose wrinkled, her frown edging into judgmental. “That’s a low accusation. Alexander wouldn’t want to scare you. He’s an honorable man.”

Angelica couldn’t help the wild chuckle that rose up in her. “Defense from his mistress. Of fucking course. I’d rather see him skinned.”

A shadow passed over Maria’s face. She stopped frowning, the lines smoothing clear between her brows. “I can help you with that.”

Angelica almost laughed, except nothing in the situation was funny. It grew less and less funny as the seconds trickled by, Maria doing nothing to lose the steady glint blankness in her eye.

Maria finally snapped. “Are you fucking serious?"

The woman didn’t move except to lift up the ring again. “If that’s what you want.”

Angelica stared at her. Ever sinew in her body was taut, ready to spring. Angelica crossed the room in a flurry of strides and threw open the door. She snatched the ring from the woman’s hand, grabbed her arm, and shoved her across the threshold.

“You’re insane. Get out of my house. I’m calling the cops.”

She slammed the door.

When she turned around, Maria was sitting on her bed.

“Is this what you wanted?” Maria asked and with a hooded stare she leaned back on the covers, drawing a hand up her torso.

Angelica took several steps back towards the wall. “What are you?”

The creature on the bed only smiled. She reached up and unwrapped the kerchief from her neck, arching her spine. Angelica carried an iron pocketknife. At that moment, it was sitting uselessly across the room in her purse. She cast her eyes around for anything at all that might help. Her gaze landed on a lamp. It had a metal base, though divine knew which metal.

She grabbed for it anyway, brandishing it. “What do you want? Are you some kind of demon?”

Maria didn’t even glance at the lamp. “You shouldn’t shout,” she chided, gently. “You’ll wake the boy.”

Lightning raced down Angelica’s spine, crackling in her lungs. She choked on it, her next words coming out croaked– pulled from a pool of instinctive terror before she could think.

“Don’t you dare touch him!”

Still, Maria watched her passively, patiently. Her expression was so blank she seemed inhuman, which she must have been. A demon or a spirit or-

“I’m trying to help you,” the thing on the bed said. Her eyes flickered up towards the ceiling, too focused not to be deliberate. “You’ll see.”

The illusion of rain increased all around them, battering above Angelica’s head. Then a light flickered on in the hall.

Angelica realized with a jolt that the sound was not rain, but the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

Eliza’s voice called to her, “Angelica?”

Angelica whipped towards the door. “Eliza! Eliza, don’t!”

The door opened anyway. Eliza stepped in, a tiny ball of witchfire in her hand, spilling out indigo light. She peered into the room with pursed lips, lines of worry around her eyes.

Angelica rushed to put her body between Eliza and the bed. A sudden descent of silence made her stumble.

The rain cut off, retreating along with the chirrup of crickets. Angelica breathed in fresh air for the first time since waking.

She looked towards the bed and the woman was gone. Not just gone, but vanished. Not even her discarded jacket remained.

At the doorway, Eliza squeaked.

“Oh! Oh, sorry! I should have knocked first!”

Angelica stared at her. Then she glanced down at the floor and saw the blanket, fallen from her grasp. She was naked. She was holding a lamp.

“I’ll just go!” Eliza quickly retreated. The door closed. From beyond it, Eliza stammered, “Are you okay? I thought I heard voices.”

Angelica’s gaze searched the room, found it empty and quiet and normal. She lowered the lamp slowly. “Sorry- uh, I was on the phone. Jetlag. I accidentally knocked down the lamp.”

“Oh, right. Of course,” accepted sweet, wonderful Eliza. Angelica didn’t even know why she was lying, only that she couldn’t think of saying the name Maria to her sister’s face. Not even now, after encountering a demon.

“Goodnight,” Eliza called. “Sorry for bursting in.”

“Night.”

The footsteps retreated back up the stairs. Angelica dropped the useless lamp and crossed to her purse and pocketknife. She dressed quickly, even lacing up her shoes, while all the while paranoia nipped at the back of her neck.

Maria did not appear again. Angelica didn’t chance it.

She pulled the chair by the window in front of the door and sat on it, glaring into the dark corners of the room. If the adulteress came again, Angelica would be ready for it.

*

 

Angelica barely stepped into the kitchen before Philip barreled into her knees, connecting with a solid oomph.

“Auntie!” he shrieked.

At the table, Eliza moaned, put her head in the hands and moaned. “Inside voice, Philip.”

Angelica scrutinized the kitchen, still trying to shake off the jolt of adrenaline she’d felt waking up in the chair to sunlight on her face. Her clothes stunk of wood smoke, though thankfully the stench hadn’t spread to her shrunken luggage. Nothing had happened as she’d brushed her teeth and readied herself. If it wasn’t for the ring sitting in her pocket, she might have thought she’d dreamed the whole nightmare.

Her family was safe and unsuspecting in front of her. Angelica shoved down her unease and scooped up her nephew.

“Look at you,” Angelica crooned. “You’re getting so big.”

“I’m fat!” Philip declared, proudly.

At the table, Eliza snorted, meeting her eyes and shrugging. “I told him he outgrew his pants. All his ankles are showing.”

“Because I’m getting big!”

Angelica eyed his beaming face in mock speculation. “Mm, I see. You know, you’re so big now I think I’ll have to take _two_ bites to eat you up!”

She ran a tickling hand up his side. Philip squealed, wriggling like a hooked fish. He was big enough now she nearly dropped him as he struggled.

“Put me down! Put me down! No fair!” he cried.

“Eat you up?” Angelica grinned, more naturally this time. “Well, if you insist.”

“No, Auntie!” His tiny fists beat against her arm, making her wince. “No eating!”

“I suppose not for breakfast,” she mused. “I forgot, I only like little boys for lunch.”

She released him and he gave a scream and ran out of the room, giggling as he fled up the stairs. Angelica ignored the tug she felt to chase after him. At last, her eyes narrowed on the coffee pot simmering on the counter.

“Refill?” she asked her sister.

“Please,” Eliza moaned. She sat with her back to the windows, head resting in one hand. Her skin was pallid and tight around her mouth. Still, though, she smiled at Angelica. “You seem well rested.”

Angelica snorted, pulling out a chair. “Hardly.” She sighed, inhaling her coffee. Her eyes scouted the room automatically. “I’m sorry for waking you up last night. Did you have trouble getting back to sleep?”

Eliza’s brows rose. “With as much as we drank?” She lowered her voice, glancing around for Philip. “How are you not hungover right now?”

“I _am_ ,” Angelica laughed.

Eliza scowled, nudging her. “Well, you don’t look it.”

Angelica began to protest, only to trail off. Actually, she realized, she wasn’t tired _or_ hungover. She didn’t even have a crick in her neck from the chair.

A chill swept up her arms. Angelica set her cup down and tried not to frown. “Don’t blame me for you being a lightweight,” she deflected, then quickly changed the subject. “How are you feeling about meeting with the lawyer today?”

It was Eliza’s turn to hesitate. Her fingers tapped on the rim of her mug, brows tugging together.

“I’m not sure,” she began. “I know I should, but- ”

Little footsteps pitter-pattered back into the kitchen. Philip flung himself into Angelica’s lap with little fanfare, settling happily on her knees.

“And then there’s Philip,” Eliza concluded, abridged.

“I can watch the kid,” Angelica offered, anticipating this. “Huh, Philip? How would you like to spend the day with your auntie?”

“Yes!” Philip cheered. “Can we go to the park?”

“If it’s alright with your mom,” Angelica replied.

Eliza’s face remained lined. “I don’t know. You just got in. I don’t want to put you out.”

Angelica shook her head. “This is what I’m here for. Anything you need, Eliza. Just name it.” She stood up with her coffee, letting Philip slide to the floor. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you ready for the park. Your mommy needs to get dressed to go into the city.”

Philip’s head swiveled around. “Downtown?”

“Yep,” Angelica confirmed.

Philip dug in his heels. “I wanna go.”

“Not this time. Wouldn’t you rather come with me to the park? We could get hot chocolate on our way.”

“I want to go downtown,” Philip insisted. He’d turned around, looking imploringly at his mom. Eliza stared at her coffee, looking about to cry. Clearly, Angelica had stepped in it.

“Philip- ” Angelica began, bending to carry him.

The words died abruptly in her throat when she caught the scent of smoke. Her cup slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floorboards and sending coffee out in a star-pattern across the floor.

“Shit!” Angelica cursed. Philip let out a scandalized gasp, while Eliza’s chair scooted loudly out from the table.

A voice sounded behind Angelica, too familiar for comfort. “I’m sorry.”

Angelica spun around. Maria stood in the kitchen, close enough the coffee soaked the edge of her dress. She wore a remorseful expression. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Angelica started. “ _How_ \- ”

“Angelica, are you alright?”

Eliza was suddenly up from the table and coming to Angelica’s side. She had Philip in her arms, who was twisting unhappily.

It was as though Angelica’s ears were underwater. “What?” she said.

“I asked if you were okay,” Eliza repeated, slower this time. She peered at Angelica like she wanted to take her temperature. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Yes,” Angelica said, unthinking. Angelica’s mind stalled. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the woman in red, who stood only five feet away. “Eliza, do you see- ?” She couldn’t finished the thought.

Still, Eliza seemed to understand her. She bit her lip and glanced in the direction that the woman – _the creature_ – was standing. Angelica held her breath.

Then Eliza let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes skyward and Angelica knew she hadn’t seen anything at all.

“I suppose you’re right,” Eliza said. “I should go see a lawyer, even if- ” She shook herself, drawing her gaze back to Angelica. Her gaze passed straight through where the woman was standing.

“I’m going to meet with the lawyer,” she said, resolutely. “Let me just get ready.” She glanced at the floor. “Do you need help cleaning up?”

“No,” Angelica said, eyes on Maria. Every hair on her body seemed to stand on end. “No, thank you.”

Eliza gave a smile and bustled out. Angelica held back the shaky breath that wanted to escape her and waited until she heard footsteps on the stairs. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned on the woman.

“Why are you following me? What do you want?”

The thing that appeared a very pretty woman frowned at her. If Angelica had to guess, she’d say Maria looked impatient.

“I want what you want,” Maria said. “I’m here to help you.”

“By following me around? Stalking my family?”

Maria shook her head. “I’m not here for them. I’m here for you.”

“Why?”

“I’ve told you, I’m here to help you.” Maria spread her arms. “Whatever you want, you’re biggest desires, I can help you reach them.”

Angelica’s eyes narrowed. “And the price?”

Maria blew out of a harsh sigh. “You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be. The price has already been paid.”

“By who?” Angelica hissed. “By Alexander?”

Maria crossed her arms, expression annoyed. “You don’t need to fear me.”

“No, why would I?” Angelica hissed. “You’ve only invaded my sister’s house and slept with her husband.”

Maria frowned. It was not an expression of confusion, as exhibited so often last night, or disapproval. This time, the woman seemed truly irritated.

“You seem to be under the impression I’m here to hurt your loved ones,” she said, tone growing short and quick. “I helped, Alexander. He wanted the opportunity to reconnect with his family. I gave him one.”

“By fucking him,” Angelica said, flatly. “How heroic.”

Maria shook her head, harshly. “I helped him make the truth come out. He could never be the man his family needed until he the lies were gone.”

Angelica had had enough of the woman’s self-righteous tone. She stepped towards her suddenly, raising her hand to point at her chest. She was ill-prepared for the way Maria jerked backwards, clattering against the cupboards, staring at Angelica with wide-eyes.

Angelica froze. She wasn’t the least bit ready to deal with whatever _that_ was.

She lowered her hand, though not her voice. “You were the one who helped him make those secrets!”

“It was only after he’d exhausted his want for me that he realized his true desire.”

Angelica snorted. “Convenient. Well, my true desire is pretty clear. I want both you and that bastard out of my life, for good. In fact, anytime you’d like to start disappearing, that’d be great.”

She stooped down and began collecting shards from the mug into her hands, determined not to look at the woman until she was gone.

Maria made a sound of frustration and snapped her fingers. “That’s pointless,” she said. The shards vanished immediately from Angelica’s grasp. The liquid on the wood evaporated into nothing, until the entire kitchen floor seemed to glean. “There. It’s much easier with my help, you see.”

Angelica dug her nails into the floorboards before standing up. “You can’t just snap your fingers and solve everything.”

Maria shook her head. “You’re not _listening_ to me. I _can_ actually fix your problems. It’s what I’m meant to do.”

“You ruined my sister’s life,” Angelica glared.

“I _helped_ her,” Maria shot back. “Would you rather she lived a lie? This way, at least, she knows.”

“That isn’t the point! You _fucked_ him. Nothing would have had to have been revealed if you hadn’t of left him alone!”

The irritation in Maria’s expression drained all at once. She stared at Angelica, expressionless. “Are you sure?”

“ _Yes!_ ” Angelica exclaimed.

“So there was no chance of Alexander having an affair before me?” Maria said, dispassionately. “Not even with you?”

Angelica fell back as if struck. Maria’s brown eyes tracked after her, face revealing nothing, not even victory. To Angelica it felt as though she had been dragged overboard by a massive wave and was now bobbing out at sea.

A minute of gasping for air and Angelica finally glimpsed the lighthouse.

“I don’t have to take this,” she said, suddenly.

Her hand found the ring in her pocket, which hummed warmly between her fingers. Maria’s eyes flickered down to it, then back up.

“You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” Angelica declared, clenching her fist until the ring bit into her palm.

Maria stared at her, expressionless. “Neither do you.”

Angelica’s mouth pinched. She turned her back on the insidious creature and walked stiffly out of the kitchen. She walked through the front door and down the steps to the curb. Trashcans lined the sidewalk, but that was too easy. She followed a river of muddy water to the storm drain.

Maria walked out after her. She stood by as Angelica knelt down, arms crossed over the bodice of her dress.

“I can help you,” Maria said, impassively. She didn’t make any move to stop her.

“Screw you,” snarled Angelica. She left the ring fall.

*

 

By the time she and Philip reached the park, morning was dying. Sunlight filtered down through the yellow-tipped trees, which lay down a thick red carpet of leaves to crunch through. Angelica felt lighter. She could breath easier, just being outside.

At her side, Philip took the opposite approach and stared glumly at his shoes. “I want to go with Mommy.”

The meltdown that precipitated them getting out the door had made this fact abundantly clear. Angelica was not clean to repeat it, especially without her sister. “She’ll be back before you know it,” Angelica assured him.

“What about Daddy? When’s _he_ coming home?”

Angelica’s good mood dissolved. She struggled to be diplomatic. “I don’t know, Philip. That’s a question to ask your mom.”

This didn’t satisfy Philip. He tugged on her hand until she reluctantly looked down at him. “He’s never worked this long before,” Philip objected, seriously. “Mommy says he’s busy and we can’t visit now.”

Good, Angelica thought viciously. “It sound like you already have you answer then, Philip,” she said.

It was the wrong thing to say. Philip’s face turned an alarming shade of red. He stomped and the leaves around his feet stirred, spinning up and around his ankles.

“I want to see Daddy _now!_ He always liked it when we went before!”

“It’s up to your mom, Philip. She’s a smart woman.”

“It’s not _fair!”_ The wind picked up, pulling at Angelica’s pants. A familiar light shimmered around Philip’s skin for a moment, making him almost too bright too look at. “Daddy would want to see me!”

“Enough!”

The leaves around Philip immediately dropped. A couple walking the opposite direction down the path turned and gave Angelica the sink eye. The aura around her nephew flickered abruptly out. His shrunk down, staring once more at his shoes.

“Sorry, Aunt Angelica,” he mumbled.

Angelica wanted to strangle herself. She knelt down, trying to catch his eye, forcing her voice to gentle.

“It’s alright, Philip,” she said. “I know you missed your father.”

Philip peered back up at her. “Are you mad at him too?”

Angelica sighed and stood back up. “It’s complicated.”

She cast her eyes around, desperate for an end to this conversation. Her eyes landed on the leaves strewn on the ground. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you make us a big pile of leaves to jump in? We can take pictures and send them to your mom. She’ll like that.”

Philip perked up. His head swung around, eyes alighting on the blanket of yellow, red, and orange around their feet. “Daddy too?”

Angelica’s jaw clenched. She kept smiling. “We’ll see.”

“Okay!”

He ran off at once, darting off the path to the grass between the trees. Angelica spied a bench nearby and settled down on the dark wood. She resisted the urge to pull at her hair, keeping a smile up for Philip as he glanced back to check in on her.

“Nice going, Angelica,” she muttered, digging her nails into her hands. “That’s really fantastic. Bitching at a toddler.”

“It happens that way sometimes.”

Ice burst in the space between her shoulder blades. Angelica’s body hardened like a stone. She opened her mouth and tasted smoke on her tongue.

“No,” Angelica said, but the woman was there.

Alexander’s mistress sat on the other end of the bench, hands folded neatly in her lap, ankles crossed and tucked under the bench. Her gaze was directed outward, to Philip as he ran on the grass arms stuffed with leaves.

“I think I should apologize,” Maria said. “I didn’t intend to imply you weren’t a woman of honor.”

Angelica laid her fists on her thighs and made herself stay. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

Maria looked at her. “The ring can’t be lost or thrown away, though you’re not the first to try.” She smiled slightly. “Alexander threw it in a river once he was so angry. That happened just before you came actually.”

The mention of Alexander sent a shiver of heat through Angelica, which she clamped down on. She would not throw a scene in the park, least of all where her nephew could see.

“For someone claiming to want what I want, you talk a lot about Alexander,” Angelica observed.

Maria hummed, considering. “I suppose I liked him,” she said, slow like she was teasing out the idea for the first time. “Alexander thought I had come to petition him for help when I first appeared. He offered me money.” She smiled down at her hands. “I find charity a hard quality to forget.”

“So you fucked him.”

“Yes.”

Maria turned to look at her, wearing a frown that was quickly becoming familiar, one part upset, two parts confused. “It really bothers you so much?”

“Obviously,” Angelica snapped. In spite of her resolution not to throw a scene, her voice was scathing.

Still, Maria didn’t let it go. “Is it that he would betray your sister for another woman or that he chose do so with a stranger?”

The benched creaked where Angelica gripped it, wood warping. Maria cocked her head. “I’ve upset you again. I apologize.”

She reached out as if to touch Angelica’s arm. Angelica ripped the limb away. She glanced at Philip, but her nephew was still frolicking in the grass, a prodigious pile of leaves growing on the ground. People strolled past them on the path, not once looking in their direction.

Unbidden, Angelica thought of the last time Maria had touched her. When Angelica had been pinned between the creature’s strong thighs, her own fingers working greedily at her bodice.

“What are you?” she asked again.

Maria resettled, lacing her fingers politely in her lap. Angelica pretended that didn’t make her heart rate slow down.

“Human,” Maria declared.

Angelica didn’t think so. She pressed, “Is that what you were originally or what you are now?”

“I’m not dead, if that’s what you’re asking - _or_ a spirit _or_ a ghost.”

“Or a demon?”

Maria’s lips twitched. “Or that.”

Angelica crossed her arms. “I find that hard to believe when you’re stalking me through walls and vanishing in and out of thin air. You aren’t teleporting,” Angelica added, just to be sure.

Maria nodded. “It is a bit difficult to explain,” she conceded.

“Try.”

Maria tilted her head, clearly thinking. After a few moment of silence, she straightened, gesturing down at herself. “This is my original body,” she said. “The one I was born and grew up in, but it isn’t the only thing I inhabit now.”

“You’re attached to the ring,” Angelica filled in. That much was evident.

“Yes,” nodded Maria. “I am tied to the ring just as I am to my original body. Perhaps, even more to the ring now, given that I can, as you say, walk in and out of walls in this body.” She smiled. Angelica didn’t return it.

“You’re lying,” Angelica declared, sneering at her. “I don’t even have the ring anymore.”

Maria wasn’t offended. “Are you sure?”

Truthfully, Angelica was _not_. Sitting this close to her, Angelica could see the faint lines of stress etched around Maria’s mouth, scarring from old acne on her cheeks. She had a thin line near her upper lip as though she’d once worn a split lip that healed badly. Up close, Maria looked in fact very human.

“If you were human,” Angelica began, placing a large emphasis on the word _if, “_ how did you end up tied to the ring?”

Maria looked away from Angelica. She was quiet for a moment. So quiet Angelica became aware of the sound of rain, though not a drop landed on her. The lines of Maria’s mouth turned down, her gaze cast out and hazy, seeing something beyond what was there.

Angelica followed her gaze. She saw nothing but Philip, bent over his pile of leaves.

“The boy needs you,” Maria said, abruptly. She was gone the next second.

Angelica jolted to her feet and looked around the bench uselessly. A few strangers on the path gave her sudden movement an odd look, though she scarcely noticed.

“ _Maria_ ,” she hissed. “Where are you?”

She strained her ears listening for a response or the sound of rain. At nothing, she scowled and kicked the bench.

“Auntie!”

Philip disrupted her. He sprinted towards her, a wide smile spread across his cheeks. “Auntie! Look what I found!”

He skidded to a step in front of her and held up one grubby fist. She knew before he uncurled his first finger what she would see, but still she gasped as the ring came into view, sitting shiny and dangerous on the palm of her nephew’s dirty hand.

*

The wards on the building crackled before she even reached the steps, sending up red sparks under each of her footsteps. Angelica had had fucking enough magic for one day and whipped out her cellphone.

Alexander answered on the second ring.

“Downstairs, Alexander. _Now_.”

She hung on up on him, then crossed the street to more forgiving pavement and leaned against a wall.

Alexander didn’t both scurrying down like the rat he was. He’s form appeared suddenly in a soundless flash of light on the capitol steps, where his gaze narrowed in on her immediately. He hurried to where she was standing, this time not making the mistake of smiling.

“Angelica,” he said.

“Alexander.”

His gaze flickered around her face. “You look well.”

“Yes,” Angelica said, unpleasantly. “I do.”

The same could not be said of Alexander. In two days he had acquired a new stoop to his shoulders that seemed to age him beyond his years. His dark circles had returned. Though he still shone with power, the flush of vitality was gone.

And because Angelica was done being in love with him, she got to say, “You look like shit.”

Alexander didn’t deny it. “I haven’t been sleeping well since- well, you must know by now.” His eyes were wide as he peered into the air around her. “Is she here?”

Angelica scowled at him. She almost didn’t look, but she too was needed to know.

As soon as she turned her head she found Maria standing not five feet away from her, staring hard at Alexander.

Alexander noticed the direction of her gaze immediately. He followed it, stare passing right over Maria’s stricken face.

“I though you would have destroyed her by now, or at least gotten rid of her.” He frowned, looking back at Angelica. “She didn’t get to you too, did she? I told you she could be tricky.”

Angelica glared at him. “If you’re asking if I slept with her the answer is no.”

Alexander shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. If she’s here, I think I need to speak with her- apologize. Ask her to become corporeal.”

“Jilted another woman, Alexander?”

He scowled. “Don’t be ridiculous, Maria isn’t a woman.” Angelica jerked back, not expecting that. Alexander was too busy staring at the air to notice. “I think I frightened her. I need to apologize. I wasn’t my kindest when I saw her last.”

Despite herself, Angelica looked to Maria. The woman’s mouth was open, eyes wide as she stared at Alexander.

“I- ”

She didn’t finish the sentence.

“What is it?” Alexander asked. “What is she saying?”

Angelica ignored him. She was sick of this. She raised her eyebrows at the woman. “If you have something to say, spit it out.”

Maria stared at Alexander and swallowed. Her gaze turned to Angelica, expression shaken.

“I’m don’t want to speak with him,” she said and then dropped her eyes to the ground. That was just fine with Angelica.

“Not so honorable now, is he?”

Alexander jerked. “What? What’s happening?”

“I didn’t come here to play messenger,” she said. Angelica dug into her jacket and held out the ring. “This thing. I want it gone. How’d you do it?”

Alexander dragged his eyes only reluctantly from his pursuit of Maria. He was breathing erratically, Angelica noticed, not that she cared.

“You can’t throw it away,” he said.

“Yes, I _know_ that, Alexander. I’m not an idiot.”

“No. Of course not.” He shook his head. Something in his gaze solidified. “The magic surrounding the ring is very intentional. The terms of the magic demands that the cursed being, in this case Maria, act in the service of another, to quote the magic, forever. It’s thanks to that forever clause that the ring cannot be lost or thrown away.”

“But it can be given away,” Angelica guessed. Almost immediately, she narrowed her eyes. “Like you gave it to me.”

“Actually, you took if first,” Alexander corrected quickly, “when you reached in the bowl. I did give it to you after though.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, thank you so much for that.”

At least she had her answer. She put the ring away, only to yank out her phone, glorying in the moment Alexander to an actual step back from her sudden movements.

He eyed her wearily. “What are you going to do?”

Angelica sneered. “Fix this mess.”

On her phone, she found what she was looking for. Alexander chased after her the moment she began to walk away.

“Is- Is Eliza okay? How’s Philip? I haven’t been sure whether to call. Could you tell them that I- That I’m sorry? And I miss them.”

“How about you tell them yourself,” she snapped.

“Angelica, please!”

“ _No_.”

She walked fast. Alexander kept after her. He grabbed her sleeve, only to let go as though burned when she rounded on him.

“I’m sorry!” he said at once, raising both his hands.

Angelica suddenly _very_ done and Maria was suddenly right there, no longer trailing behind her but standing in front, holding out her hand. She’d pulled herself together, no longer looking near tears but resolute.

“What do you want?” she asked.

Angelica placed her hand in Maria’s. Speaking very clearly, with her eyes locked onto Alexander, she said, “I want to leave this place.”

Then she closed her eyes to Alexander’s desperate stare and fell into the haze of magic that followed.

*

 

Maria’s magic was not like teleporting. Nor was it like the grip of unforgiving wards.

It was as though Angelica walked through a tunnel without ever moving her feet. She felt Maria’s hand tugging on hers, a sudden rush of darkness, and then she opening her eyes across town with nobody there but herself.

Not even a hint of smoke remained. Angelica suspected that teleportation was not one of those pieces of magic that came easily to Maria, though Angelica was almost more confused as to exactly what the woman was now, following Alexander’s tirade.

She pulled out her phone and started walking.

The store she sought was marked by a large murky window out of which glinted a hodgepodge of 80s jewelry, glitter wands, and stacks of dusty boom boxes, DVD players, and even a few hefty VCRs. Iron bells jingled above the door. Angelica half expected the magic on the ring to shudder, but it lay still.

A short man in an ill-fitted suit jacket leaned cat-like on the counter as she came in, straightening up immediately once she set down the ring.

“I’d like to sell this,” she said.

Angelica paused, half waiting for a sudden rush of rain or the rustle of Maria’s ridiculous dress. Neither came.

The salesman made a place of looking nonchalant. “I have many wonderful pieces of jewelry if you’d like to take a look. The value of your trade-in could bring down the price of a something a bit bigger to something very reasonable.”

“I’m not interested in trading, thank you,” Angelica said.

“Of course, of course,” he smiled. He shuffled around the counter, make a production of pulling on a pair of latex gloves and fishing out a magnification device. “If you don’t mind me examining it?” he asked, wagging his latexed fingers at her.

She waved him on, disliking his slimy smile more and more.

When he touched the ring, she was suddenly and disproportionally glad he was wearing gloves. His gazed seemed like an invasion. Angelica was very tired. Her hands gripped the counter as she tried not to sway, feeling as though she were being peeled apart as he squinted closely at the band.

She knew the minute he noticed the magic. The corners of his mouth pulled up sharp and greedy before he could mask it. Then he placed the ruby under the magnification glass and didn’t bother even trying to hide his glee.

“Remarkable.”

Angelica pressed her forearms against the glass counter and scowled. “Are you done?”

The salesman barely glanced at her. “Got a name for the wizard responsible for this piece of work?”

Angelica frowned. “Whose to say it wasn’t me?”

He snorted. He pulled his gaze away from the ruby only to send it crawling up and down her body. “Sorry to say, lady, but you don’t strike me as the type to practice blood magic.”

Angelica’s stomach swooped. “Blood magic,” she repeated, dumbly.

“Mm. You didn’t know? Look at this thing. I’ve never seen a more perfect capture,” he said, awed. “You can still see the flames in the stone.”

“I’m sorry,” Angelica said. “What’s captured?”

The salesman eyed her. “Where’d you say you got this thing?”

“It was a gift,” Angelica said.

“Right.” The salesman voice was doubtful. “That’s some present. If you’re telling the truth you better watch yourself.”

“What do you mean? Why?” Angelica demanded. “Is it dangerous?”

“You mean apart from the blood magic?” The salesman shook his head. “Lady, most people don’t go walking around with stolen time in their pockets.”

A heavy feeling settled into Angelica’s gut. “I see.”

The salesman finally dragged his eyes off of the stone, fixing her with a hungry expression. “Have you had any contact with the entity yet? Something this strong, you may actually hear a full voice.” He crowed at the expression on her fact. “You have! Excellent. This is quite a find. Worth quite a lot of money depending on how old the time is,” he chuckled.

He turned the ring in his fingers, squinting at it. “I’m curious. You don’t see one of these every day. Depending on how old it is, you’re looking at a small fortune. The last one I saw, a snippet from the 70s, went for a couple grand at auction. I wonder if I can’t tweak it here to see – ah!”

His raised a finger, which took on a harsh yellow glow. Before Angelica could stop him, he tapped it to the ruby.

Immediately, the store filled with smoke.

Angelica bent down, coughing on it. Above her head, the salesman crowed out in victory.

“Amazing! A full sensory capture!”

It was raining all around them. Sounds Angelica had become exceedingly familiar with took on a loud refrain. The crickets played frantically. There was rustling and groaning, like the trunks of giant pines swaying the wind, branches smacking the side of the structure.

The owl hooted once and then twice. On the third call, Maria appeared. The salesmen gasped out loud. All Angelica knew was that something was wrong.

Maria stood still, back towards the room, face turned out as though looking out a window. Her figure was in shadow, as though she stood in a room with no lights, save for a flickering orange glow that shone along the edges of her dress.

She didn’t turn as Angelica straightened. She didn’t even turn when the salesman called out to her.

It was as though she were stuck, Angelica realized.

Or - she thought, noticing for the first time a slight quiver in Maria’s shoulders, as though she were fighting something.

A sudden light flared, the orange on Maria’s dress jumping. Maria began to turn.

Angelica snatched the ring from the salesmen hand.

The scene vanished at once - Maria in her dress, the crickets, the rain. Angelica thought she could still smell the faint scent of wood smoke, but she reeked of it herself.

“Outstanding.”

The salesman gave a delighted shiver, smiling widely at Angelica. “That’s some ring you’ve got there. What exactly were you looking for, miss? I’m sure we can make a _very_ lucrative deal, if you’d like me to find you a buyer.”

“Blood magic is illegal.”

The salesman shrugged. “I know a few fellows who don’t mind that so much. Look, you’re clearly over your head here. I can get you a good deal.”

Angelica very nearly said yes. She uncurled her hand, revealing the ring to his hungry stare. In a manner she hadn’t noticed in days, the gold band seemed to burn in her palm, almost too hot to handle.

She closed her hand again.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

Instantly, the salesman’s face darkened. “You won’t get a better deal. I’m who you need if you want to move that thing.”

She shook her head. “Thank you for your time. I won’t take up any more of it.”

She stepped away from the counter, slipping the ring back in her pocket.

“You’re making a mistake,” he shouted as she reached the door. “You don’t even know what you have.”

“No,” Angelica muttered to herself, “but I’m figuring it out.”

*

Angelica wandered until the streetlights flickered on, witchfire bathing the black pavement blue. Fog rolled in low through the city. Night wards sprang up as stores began to close, brighter than the stars in the darkening sky.

Angelica didn’t notice how far she’d wandered until a will-o-wisp crossed her path, jumping eagerly to lead her down a seedy back alley or raging bar, both of which had cropped up in abundance around her when she hadn’t been paying attention. She adverted her eyes from it carefully, fixing her gaze on the sidewalk until buildings of glass and steel gave away to the brick and wood of brownstones.

The roads narrowed, sirens and traffic fading to a low roar, the city’s version of ocean waves. Angelica tilted her head up and looked for rain. Saw none, heard none. She climbed the steps to Eliza’s front door and shivered, hoping Maria was okay.

Her priorities changed the moment she stepped inside. Angelica knew there was something wrong. The air tasted tangy and sharp, like lightning had cracked through it. A light was on in the kitchen, though Angelica heard no voices or other noise. She stepped towards it carefully.

A cloud of tea and magic met her. Eliza looked up as Angelica entered. She sat at the kitchen table, holding a cup, in a strange deja vu of Angelica’s first night here. It was hard to believe she’d only arrived two days ago. The lemony scent of the tea relaxed her. Then she caught sight of the kitchen table and gasped.

It had been nearly cleaved in two. A giant scorch line tore through the center of the wood, black around the edges like a sharp bruise.

Eliza sat at the head of the mark, calmly sipping her tea.

“Angelica, you’re back.” Eliza wasn’t smiling as she looked at her. “It’s late. Where were you?”

Angelica rushed through the kitchen, feeling her hair rise up one by one with the latent magic in the air. “Divines, Eliza, are you alright? What happened?”

Eliza set her tea down on the broken table. “Alexander stopped by while you were out.”

That stopped Angelica in her tracks. She took in the devastation of the kitchen with a new sense of horror. Eliza sat in the center of it all, still not getting up from the table.

She assumed the worse. “Did you hurt you? I’ll kill him, Eliza. I won’t let him get away with this.”

The laugh Eliza gave wasn’t pretty. She drew a finger down the center of the table, dipping to the crack. “Alexander didn’t do this.”

Angelica stilled, warning bells ringing in head.

Her sister’s magic had always been a benevolent thing; a force to grow flowers from her bedframe or light a candle in the dark. Angelica had never seen her use it in anger, not once, not ever.

She cautiously approached. “Eliza?”

The air in the kitchen wavered. A jot of static zapped Angelica’s arm, making her jump back. Even from across the room, Angelica could see the way Eliza’s chest moved. She took a deep breath and the electricity retreated. In its place the calming tea scents of lemon and lavender redoubled.

“I’m sorry,” Eliza said. “I’m trying not to be upset.”

“What did he say to you?” Angelica asked.

“What I expected, I think.” Eliza’s eyes dropped to the table. “He wants to work things out.”

Angelica barred her teeth. “Of course he does.”

Eliza hummed. She didn’t say anything else for a moment, then she lifted her head and met Angelica’s eyes square on. “Angelica, did you go to see Alexander today?”

Angelica’s first instinct was to still. This proved a mistake. Eliza’s eyes immediately narrowed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

This was not a conversation Angelica was prepared for. She’d rehearsed, before, what she’d say if Eliza realized she’d visited Alexander before she came to the house, but nothing was the same as before.

What came out was the weakest excuse in the books, “I didn’t want to upset you.”

If nothing else, it was honest. That didn’t seem to help anything though.

Eliza laughed again, then threw her arms out, gesturing around the destroyed kitchen wildly. “It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?”

The air cracked ominously. Eliza lowered her arms, quickly growing subdued once more. “He said it was your idea he talk to me.”

Here, Angelica had to put her foot down. “That’s not true. He’s lying,” she hissed. “The only think I told him is that I wouldn’t go around carrying his half-assed apologies.”

“Well, clearly he heard something different,” Eliza said, stiffly.

Angelica was ill equipped to hear Eliza address her without any warmth. She reached out, then thought better of it. “Eliza,” she began. She didn’t know where to take it.

Eliza sighed. She’d gathered crow’s feet beneath her eyes and a hard note in her gaze. “Why go there at all? I thought you hated him.”

“I _do_ ,” Angelica insisted, jumping on that truth. Why had she gone? She opened her mouth to answer, only to falter.

Could she say she had gone for Eliza? The first time, maybe, though Angelica was self-aware enough to know what she’d really wanted were answers. Her visit today hadn’t even been that justified.

“I don’t need you to fight my battles, Angelica,” Eliza said seriously.

Angelica tried for a smile. “I’m your sister, Eliza. It’s my job.”

Eliza stood up sharply, chair grating against the floor. “I don’t need _that_ either.”

She crossed the room to the sink, passing by Angelica without brushing her, and dropping her cup in the basin with a sharp bang. Eliza stayed there, gripping the counter, and didn’t around again.

Angelica watched her shoulders rise and fall, rise and fall.

“Eliza, are you okay?” Angelica said.

Still, Eliza didn’t turn around. “I don’t even know why I’m this angry. I should have expected this.”

That stung. Angelica reared back, feeling as though she’d been punched. A weight settled in the back of her throat, thickening her tongue. She very resolutely did not cry.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Eliza spun around. She had tear tracks down her cheeks and puffy red eyes. Her nose was wrinkled in a scowl.

“You didn’t intend to include me, either,” she shot back. “Divines, Angelica! You show up at my house from London without warning. You set me up with a lawyer I didn't ask for. You go and talk with my husband behind my back. What am I supposed to do with that? How can I trust you’re not lying to me, when all you do is keep secrets and make plans?”

Icy, icy water all the way up to Angelica’s throat. She felt adrift. Cast out. The ring in her pocket seemed to burn.

“I’m not,” Angelica said, dazed.

Eliza made a sound low in her throat and threw her hands up. “Stop _lying_ to me!”

Angelica took a stumbling step back. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion, every sight and sound on high. She could heard the gas still running on the stove, keeping the kettle warm, and the creak of the flood boards as they shifted. Under her sister’s betrayed stare she felt abruptly lost, alone in way that felt at once permanent and unsurprising, as though she ought to have been expecting it all along. Maybe she had.

She found herself wishing more than anything else that she had someone there with her.

Smoke threaded into the kitchen, weaving under the tea spell. Maria slid into existence to the drum of rain on the roof, slipping a warm hand into Angelica’s.

Angelica looked to her right. Maria appeared tired, though her expression was happy – satisfied, in fact.

“I know what you want now,” she said. “I’m going to help you.”

She squeezed Angelica’s hand, her grip as warm as coals. Then gently she turned Angelica’s palm over.

The ring that had been in Angelica’s pocket now gleamed on her finger. Maria tugged gently on the band, sliding it off, and then pressed it into Angelica’s palm.

Angelica felt the magic of it against her skin, so hot it nearly burned. She turned the ring over in between her grasp.

Looking at Eliza’s probing stare, Angelica knew what Maria meant her to do. The confession of her secrets and the key back to Eliza’s trust lay at her fingertips.

“You’re right,” Angelica said.

Eliza looked at her, almost surprised. Angelica tried not to let that hurt.

“I have been trying to protect you,” she said. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“I’m not a child, Angelica,” Eliza interjected, sighing. “You’re my sister, not my parent. I needed a sister.”

“I know.”

Eliza’s expression was clearing. Eliza’s fury was calming down and with it all the energy in the air.

Angelica blinked down a fresh wave of tears. Her moment was narrowing. She chose her words carefully.

“I don’t think you’re weak, Eliza. I forget, sometimes, that you don’t need me like that anymore. Not that you ever really did, I know.”

Angelica’s voice broke. The sobs she’d been trying to contain bubbled up in her anyway, spilling onto her face. She shook her head, mad with herself, impatient to get through this.

“Eliza, you’re the best thing in my life. I’ve never wanted to lose you.”

“Oh no. Angelica.”

Eliza’s voice was instantly regretful and unbearably kind. She reached out suddenly, pulling Angelica into a deep hug that warmed her bones, even as she shivered.

“I do need you,” Eliza asserted. “Of course I do. I just wish you’d let me take care of you too.”

Angelica hugged back with all her might. The ring burned tight in her hand. She opened her eyes and over Eliza’s shoulder she saw Maria staring at her, eyes narrowed. When she Angelica was looking, she pointed harshly at the ring.

Their hug broke. Angelica clasped Eliza’s hand with one hand and squeezed. “I promise I’ll try,” Angelica said.

“No more secrets,” Eliza insisted, shaking her head.

“No more,” Angelica nodded, teary-eyed. Into her pocket, she slipped the ruby ring.

Over Eliza’s shoulders, Maria’s face twisted sharply. She turned and stormed through a wall, vanishing.

Angelica buried her head in her sister’s hair again and breathed in the scent of home.

*

A thunderstorm was waited for her in the guest room.

Maria caught Angelica the moment she stepped through the door, getting up in her face with an ugly expression.

“You didn’t tell her,” she accused. “Worse, you _lied_ to her.”

“Technically, I said _no more_ secrets. That doesn’t mean I can’t keep the ones I already have.”

Angelica threw her jacket on the bed, kicking off her shoes. She ran and hand through her hair, scratching her scalp, feeling as though she could straighten her spine for the first time in months.

She turned to her shadow and frowned. “Maria, what you need to learn is sometimes the truth hurts.”

“That doesn’t mean you run from it,” Maria hissed.

“No, you’re not hearing me. Sometimes the truth just hurts, that’s all it’s there for. It doesn’t solve everything just by being revealed.”

Maria kept after her, livid. “You’ll never repair her trust if you aren’t honest. She’ll know you’re keeping things from her.”

“She’ll get enough honesty from Alexander,” Angelica scowled. She eyed the apparition behind her. “She still loves him, you know.”

“Obviously,” Maria spat. “A fool could see that.”

“I didn’t,” Angelica said, calmly. “I don’t think I can watch him weasel his way back in this house either.”

Maria stomped in frustration. “You’ve ruined your chance,” she said. “You don’t even want the ring. Why keep it? It’s absurd.”

“It’s what I want,” Angelica said.

“No, it isn’t.” Maria folded her arms, pacing the floor. “I _know_ you. If you want someone to stand by you through everything you can’t just lie to them! You’re setting yourself up for misery. If Eliza finds out that you _kept_ me from her- ”

“She won’t be able to trust me, I know.” Angelica sighed. The ache of that decision still throbbed. She straightened her shoulders resolutely. “Still, if I know my sister at all, it’s her capacity for forgiveness.”

Angelica reached out, catching Maria by the arm as she paced back. Her fingers met that strange, thick material of her gown.

“Besides, she’s not the one I want to be there for me,” she said. “I want to know what happened to you.”

Maria was thrown by the abrupt change in topic. “What?”

“It’s what I want,” Angelica said simply. “Tell me how you got trapped in the ring.”

“I’m not trapped.”

“Forced to follow a piece of metal around,” Angelica tallied, “granting the desires of people you don’t even know. That sounds like a trap to me.”

Maria scowled. “It isn’t like that.”

Angelica rubbed her thumb in circle on Maria’s arm. “Tell me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Maria resisted.

“It matters to me.”

Maria took in a trembling breath. “Fine,” she said, abruptly. “If that’s what you want.”

Angelica missed her warmth the moment she vanished, only to watch her reappear a moment later at the window.

Like in the store, the scene unfolded one more. Only this time it came on gradually, one element at a time like the start of a symphony.

It began, as it always did, with an influx of smoke.

The rain came next, battering on the rooftop that wasn’t there. Then the crickets, slowly drowning out the sounds of the city.

Maria stood at the window, gazing out. This time she wasn’t frozen. She turned before the full force of the rain began to sound, walking steadily over to Angelica’s side.

“Is this what you wanted?” she asked. Angelica noticed for the first time that her dress was singed.

“Tell me what happened.”

Maria stared at her, as though disbelieving of her insistence. At last, she gave a sigh and said, “The spell was always about intention. You’ve already heard that part.”

Angelica nodded. “I knew when I picked up your ring the first time it was tied to a powerful emotion. I assumed that it was Alexander’s feelings for you.”

“Yes. That part of the magic is common.”

“Everyone knows about true loves kiss,” Angelica agreed.

Maria sighed again, looking away. “In my case, the emotion in the ring is tied to my desire to help my daughter.” She paused, then frowned. “You don’t seem surprised to hear this.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at Philip,” Angelica said. “I guessed you might have kids.”

Slowly, Maria nodded. She seemed off-centered by Angelica’s observation – or perhaps by her attention.

“One child. My daughter, Susan. My deepest want was for her to grow up in a home that was safe and kind.”

“You were married,” Angelica guessed. “He abused you?”

Maria didn’t look at her. “When it was just me, it was manageable. He never beat me so hard I couldn’t work the next day. He couldn’t afford too.” Her eyes darkened. “But then he began to threaten our daughter.”

“So you killed him,” Angelica concluded.

Maria shook her head. “It wasn’t like you’re imagining.”

Angelica took her hand. “So show me.”

The bone in Maria’s jaw worked. Eventually, she nodded.

The walls of the guest room flickered, as though a film were laid over them. Angelica could see her bed and dresser and closet, yet covering these was the illusion of an older structure. Wood boards lay over the plaster walls. A fireplace flickered to life where Angelica’s bed now sat, filling the room with orange light.

“I appealed to the local magistrates first,” Maria continued. “James wasn’t a loved man in town, he owed too many debts, but we were poor in finances and poor in standing. No one would help us, not even to give us a loan to make our own escape.”

“You valued Alexander’s charity,” Angelica remembered.

Maria went on. “Eventually, I grew desperate. I wasn’t born with any great aptitude for magic. If I concentrated, I could perhaps make a candle light with the power I held.”

She held up her hand as if to demonstrate, only a ball of witchfire burst into existence. “I was nothing like this,” Maria shrugged, shaking her hand until the fire dissipated. “There was a wise woman in town. She was old and poor, but she knew spells like no one else in the village. When I went with her, she taught me what I needed to know to work the magic.”

“Did you know it was blood magic?” Angelica questioned.

Maria side eyed her. “Does that bother you?”

“I’m not sure,” Angelica answered, honestly. “Perhaps not.”

“It didn’t bother me,” Maria said. “I was wary, of course, but she promised it would give me the power to help my daughter find happiness, even after I passed on. There was little choice. The first thing it needed was blood.”

Maria waved a hand in front of her face. Bruises sprang forth from under her skin suddenly. Her lip split, blood smearing under her nose.

Maria smiled. “Blood I had. It was the life I needed.”

“So then you killed him,” Angelica said. “What was his name?”

“James,” Maria said. “James Reynolds. He liked to drink, often to the point of passing out. I didn’t even have to wait long.”

Maria’s gaze travelled down, down to the old fashioned bed in the corner. Irregular bottles were scattered just beside it.

“It didn’t take much. Nothing more than a candle trick, actually.”

The flames in the fireplace suddenly surged. The scene around them shifted, jerking forwards to uncharted territory for Angelica. Singe fell through the air, landing on her hair and shoulders. The wood smoke went from nicely warm to choking.

Angelica coughed, loudly. Maria placed a hand on her back. Suddenly the illusions shifted. It reminded Angelica of the time Maria had transported her. There was rush in which everything moved except for them and then suddenly Angelica was not just hearing the rain, but feeling it fall onto her skin. The fire was still there and massive, but it roared at distance.

The only thing familiar was the owl, which hooted one, then twice, then three times.

Angelica peered into the piece of captured time. “Is this the end?” she asked.

Maria took her hand. Her palms were covered in soot. “Not quite.”

Her eyes were fixed in front of them, on something Angelica couldn’t see. A moment later and there came a sound of feet crashing through a wet forest, crunching on leaves.

A girl appeared, young and thin. She ran straight through the middle of the room, where she stopped and stared at the burning cabin with terror.

Angelica’s heart cinched, but Maria squeezed her hand. “It’s alright,” she said. “This was a good night.”

The girl suddenly stopped and looked down. She picked up something from the ground, holding it up until the ruby caught on the firelight.

_“Mama?”_

The scene faded. Not just the rain or flames, but all of it, even the smell of smoke. Maria took a deep breath and smiled.

“Thanks to that night, I was able to protect and care for Susan for the rest of her life. Then for her children and her children’s children, until eventually a very foolish great-grandson of mine decided to sell off his mother’s affairs without checking the lot and sent off her most prized ring. You can imagine how that went. Eventually, I landed in Alexander’s palm and then, finally, in yours.”

“It wasn’t the death of your husband that you captured, but the birth of your new life,” Angelica said, wonderingly.

Maria nodded. “Why remember the ugliness of what had happened when I had gotten everything I wanted? My daughter was safe now and I could take care of her in ways I never dreamed were possible.” She smiled. “Susan was adopted by the same magistrates who refused us aid the first time. They sent her to school even, until she knew far more than I ever did. It gave her a good life.”

“And you got to stay with her.” Angelica added. “That’s incredible.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Did you ever regret it? The spell didn’t end with her.”

“No,” Maria agreed. “It has been difficult, to see my spell twisted by some people. Not everyone desires good things.”

“It sounds like more of a curse now, than anything,” Angelica noted. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Why was this so important to you?” Maria asked.

“I needed to know that I made the right decision.”

That pulled Maria up short. Her mouth opened.

“Did you?” she finally asked.

Angelica could not have been more sure.

“Yes.”

*

Thee days later and Angelica stepped out of the front door of Eliza’s house with the morning light still weak. She breathed in deeply, patting her pockets to make sure her luggage was all there. On her finger, glinting brightly in the sun, she wore Maria’s ring.

Eliza stepped out onto the porch with her, Philip on her hip. Her brows were drawn together.

“Are you sure you have to leave so soon?” she asked.

Angelica just nodded. She pretended she didn’t see the way Eliza’s shoulder relaxed, even as she tried to convinced her to stay longer.

“You don’t need me here,” Angelica said. “Besides, you’ve got this big man here to help you out.”

Philip grinned. Eliza smiled at him, before imploring Angelica one last time. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for just one more night?”

“I’m sure. If you’re going through with this, you don’t want me here anyway.”

“That’s not true,” Eliza objected, but didn’t push.

As if on cue, the elephant in the room arrived. Alexander appeared on the sideway at the end of the steps, freshly groomed. His hair was neat, clothing ink and coffee free. Philip immediately wiggled from Eliza’s grip and pounced on him.

“Daddy!”

Angelica tried to hide her grimace. Eliza caught it anyway.

“Like I said,” Alexander shrugged. “You don’t want me here for this.”

Eliza pulled a face and immediately tugged her in for a hub.

“You’re _always_ welcome here,” she objected. “Make sure to call. I want an instant update when you get back to London. No big life changes without letting your sister know.”

“Of course.” Angelica stepped back. She squeezed her sister’s hands before walking down the stairs. Alexander stiffened as she drew level with him, eyeing her wearily as she drew near.

“Alexander.”

“Angelica.”

From the top of the steps, Eliza rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “Come on, Philip. Time to wash up for breakfast.”

With a bit more cajoling, the boy scampered up the steps. Angelica and Alexander were left standing by themselves at the foot of the house. His nostrils flared and he broke the first silence.

“You smell like her,” he said.

That was true. It felt as though her nose was constantly aligned to the smell of wood smoke now. The same had to be true for him.

“So do you,” she returned.

He grimaced. “Its stuck in my hair,” he said. I’ve been scrubbing at it, but the smoke won’t go away.”

“I don’t think Eliza’s noticed,” Angelica said. “Maybe it’s just a reminder for you.”

That didn’t seem to reassure him. “I should go inside. Eliza will be waiting.”

“Yes, she will.”

She almost let him go. She recalled what her sister said about not needing protection and glanced up at the windows of the house before stepping closer. Alexander’s magic drew back from her, for all accounts and purposes hissing.

“I won’t tell you to be careful, Alexander,” she said. “Eliza can watch her self.”

He watched her. “But?”

“That’s it,” Angelica smiled. She stepped back. “Oh, and on an unrelated note. I’ve recently learned a lot about fire. You’d be fascinating to know what you can do with a good flame these days.”

Alexander inhaled sharply. “It’s over, isn’t it? You got rid of her.”

Angelica didn’t reply. She stared at him

“I’ll see you, Alexander. Don’t write to me.”

Alexander scurried up the steps. Angelica waited for the door to close, then turned to the woman on her arm.

“You didn’t tell him,” Maria observed.

“Like I said, telling the truth isn’t always the best way forward.”

She began walking down the sidewalk. Leaves crunched under their feet. There was a ticket in her pocket, but not to London.

Only Maria knew that. “Where to next?”

“I’m thinking my next greatest desire is breaking your curse,” Angelic mused.

Maria smiled, entwining their hands together.

“I can help with that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am submitting this at like 4am so there are probably a million mistakes. If you catch a glaring one, or things don't make sense, lemme know~


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